Essentials of Health Behavior

Health promotion, education, and prevention programs share a common goal: driving meaningful changes in health behavior. Essentials of Health Behavior: Social and Behavioral Theory in Public Health, Fourth Edition equips readers with the critical foundation to understand, evaluate, and apply behavioral theories in real-world public health practice.

Written in clear, approachable language, this text introduces the core social and behavioral theories that shape our understanding of health-related behaviors and inform effective health promotion strategies. Through compelling real-world examples across a range of settings, it illustrates how these theories translate into practical interventions that improve population health. Now in its Fourth Edition, this essential text has been thoroughly updated to reflect the latest research, data, and technologies shaping health promotion practice today.

The new edition delivers expanded insights and practical tools to meet the evolving challenges of public health. Highlights include:

• Enhanced coverage of communication strategies to address the rapidly changing digital and media landscape, including strategies for combating misinformation.
• Updated and expanded discussion of key behavioral theories, such as Social Support Theory, Social Norms Theory, and Diffusion of Innovations Theory.
• Fresh examples and case studies that bring concepts to life and illustrate real-world applications.
• Broader exploration of current health issues, including the impact of COVID-19 on public health practice. Integration of national frameworks and goals, including references to Healthy People 2030 and the latest public health communication models.

• Publication date: 18 September 2026
• Page count: 275
• Publisher: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN-13: 9781284309560